ENGLISH
REFERENCE

all thumbs

idiom
Meaning

Clumsy; awkward; not dextrous.


Origin

first recorded 16th c.

From the proverb "when he should get aught, each finger is a thumb", from John Heywood's Collection of 1546.

Examples
SIMPLE

I'm all thumbs today and keep dropping things.

CONTEXTUAL

He tried to fix the watch but was all thumbs and made it worse.

COMPLEX

The nervous apprentice, usually skilled with delicate instruments, became all thumbs the moment the master craftsman entered the workshop.

Anchors to
Related idioms3entries
  1. 01

    all fingers and thumbs

    Of a person, clumsy or awkward.

  2. 02

    twiddle one's thumbs

    To wait or dawdle; to accomplish nothing useful or lack a useful occupation.

  3. 03

    two thumbs up

    Strong approval.

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